The cost of NHS dental treatment in Wales increases has increased, Welsh Government announced this week.

Any revenue generated from the increased charges will be re-invested back into NHS dentistry services.

On April 1, the three standard charges increased to between £20.00 and £260.000 depending on the treatment required, and urgent treatment has increased to £30.

Around 50 per cent of people receive NHS dental treatment for free in Wales. These include children under 18 or those aged 18 and in full time education, pregnant women or those who have had a baby within the 12 months of treatment starting, anyone who has dentistry treatment carried out in a hospital, and people on certain benefits.

A low-income scheme provides full, or partial help, with health costs, depending on individual circumstances.

The Welsh Government has increased investment for dentistry, with funding £27m higher than it was in 2018-19. Included within this increase is an additional £2 million a year to address local access issues.

Changes to the dentistry contract in Wales include a requirement for NHS practices to see new patients. Since this was introduced in April 2022, 312,000 people who couldn’t get an appointment before have now received NHS dental treatment.